Guccifer 2.0 Returns to Twitter After Dem Data Leak

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08/15 18:00

He's back! Guccifer 2.0 has returned to Twitter after being suspended for leaking personal contact details of US politicians.

The hacker last week released phone numbers of 193 current and former members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who reported receiving "obscene and sick calls," the BBC reports.

A Twitter spokesman declined to comment on Guccifer's reinstatement, saying the company does not discuss individual accounts "for privacy and security reasons." But Guccifer 2.0 was quick to champion his return and taunt the social network.

Last week's leak is the latest in a string of cyber attacks on the Democratic party—and its presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton—for which Guccifer 2.0 is allegedly responsible.

According to the BBC, technical analysis of Guccifer's hack suggests he or she may be linked to the Russian state, which was blamed for recent breaches of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The anonymous thief, however, has denied any association with Russia, according to the BBC.

Guccifer 2.0 did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

In June, Russian government hackers gained access to the computer network of the Democratic National Committee, stealing login credentials and monitoring email and chats. Two separate cells with known ties to the Russian government compromised the DNC's systems. One cell, known in the security community as Cozy Bear, had access to the DNC since last summer; the other, Fancy Bear, breached the network in April.

DNC emails were later leaked via Wikileaks, just prior to the start of the Democratic National Convention, prompting some to suggest the Russian government is trying to hurt Clinton's campaign and get Donald Trump elected.

The FBI is also investigating a breach at the DCCC; the Clinton campaign database was also targeted, Reuters says.

The IP address associated with the DNC hack is similar to one used for the DCCC breach, suggesting both attacks were carried out by the same group.

The original Guccifer, meanwhile, is Marcel Lehel Lazar, a Romanian who hacked the email accounts of former U.S. president George W. Bush and some of his family members, as well as Colin Powell's Facebook page several years ago. He pleaded guilty in May and will be sentenced in September, NBC reports.

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